We need stricter vetting and we need better oversight. With people with that kind of power, there must come great responsibility.

And while Eric might be right that we do not need LESS equipment, there's a good argument to be made that we need more APPROPRIATE equipment. By and large, the police do not need tanks and heavy artillery, but more and more police forces are buying them anyway.

The US spends $100 billion on policing every year. Given the current state of affairs, I don't think it's at all ridiculous to posit that we might be able to put at least some of that money to better use than we are currently.

Police may not be perfectly equipped to handle every possible scenario but they don't have the resources and manpower to deal with the things that they are suited for.  

Overall, I don't see a lot of innocent people being mistreated by the police so I don't agree with this whole proposal.  When career criminals and repeat offenders get mistreated I'm not particularly sympathetic.

It's Bizarro world to me that George Floyd, a man who stuck a gun to the belly of a pregnant woman, robbed her and harassed her and was in prison 5 different times is being buried in a gold casket and revered.

He isn't a symbol of black people being mistreated, he is a criminal that finally went too far.  Disbanding and defunding police departments in his name is ridiculous.

So imagine a stoned homeless person yelling at people on the street.  911 is called.  In most cities, police arrive and start ORDERING the person to do what they say.  If the person does not comply, the police have an arsenal of weapons with which to reply: batons, pepper spray, Tasers, guns.  

Now imagine instead that CAHOOTS responds like they do in Eugene.  A paramedic and a mental health specialist arrive and ASK the person what is wrong.  They ASK if they can help.  And most of the homeless need help desperately.